In Her Jealousy
by boymeetsgirl
Summary: [TK x Kari] Sometimes, all it takes is an intervention for us to know what we really feel. Inspired by Daa! Daa! Daa!
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone! I haven't written in a while, though come to think of it, I don't think that I've written that much either. My past fanfics were all posted at a forum that's now dead (bringing those fics along with it), and they were all Ragnarok Online fics (cool game, though I've already quit). Basically this is the first fic that I've posted on and also my first Digimon fic. I've been a fan of Digimon for a while now, and yet I'm still addicted to Digimon fanfics. :)

So anyway, this fic was inspired by an episode of _Daa! Daa! Daa!_ (the anime that I'm forever a fan of. Kanata is just so lovable and cute!). Like the summary states, this is a Takari, with perhaps a mention of couples I support. The story happens after their final battle with MaloMyotismon, and (though it doesn't have anything to do with the fic) as well disregards the 25-years-later narration. Before I forget, I do not, in any way, own Digimon.

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**.:chapter.one:.**

She was definitely sick of all the teasing. She knew she could no longer stand the (almost) daily amount of jokes her friends throw at her. They would tauntingly ask her when she would finally get together with him, or put _extra _meaning to even his simple actions, or even – to her utter irritation – _bet_ on when they would confess their "love" to each other. And she knew her tolerance reached its peak when even her brother – her overprotective brother who would habitually tell her that she's still too young for romance – joined in the teasing.

"_Are you sure you're just gonna ask T.K. to help you in your homework or are you really going out on a date with him?" _That, at first, didn't really irritate her or anything, since she knew Tai just asked that question out of his overprotectiveness. It all changed, however with the grin that followed, and as he let out a small chuckle. _"But hey, it's T.K. we're talking about. If you ask me, you've made the perfect choice, Kari. You have my permission."_

And at that, she stormed out of their apartment, banging the door with a loud _THUD_. In her frustration, she even forgot to bring Gatomon with her, as the digimon wanted to come along with her, seemingly bored with its lifestyle at her apartment. Eventually, Gatomon was able catch up with her, as there was no chance in the world that her digimon partner's nap wouldn't have been disturbed by that bang.

It wasn't that he was at all that unlikable. Heck, with his cute face and his innate gentleness, he was definitely the type that a girl would beg for to have as a boyfriend. He was, however, her best friend, ever since childhood. She knew it would be too weird to go out with somebody that she'd been practically going out with all her life, although in a different way. She loved him, as a best friend. Nothing more, and definitely nothing less.

Her other friends seem to have interpreted their closeness in a different manner, though, and Yolei on was the top of the list. Every once in a while the purple-haired girl would make it a point to tease Kari, and irritate the latter by singing, "T.K. and Kari sitting on a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G." Although the rhyme was extremely childish and corny, for Kari, it was equally irritating.

Mimi and Sora would also haunt her occasionally. They would often discuss – and right in front of Kari's face – who they would want Kari to end up with, and would conclude that T.K. was the best option. Every time they did this, though, Kari would cover her ears and pretend not to hear the older girls' discussion.

Now that she thought of it, though, even _he _would come up with occasional teasing. Whenever the atmosphere between them gets excessively serious, he would try to lighten up the mood, although irritatingly for her, he at times resort to jokes that suggest them being more than friends. However, sensitive as T.K. was, his teasing doesn't last long, and by the time she would feel a faint blush creep to her cheeks (which she dismiss later as "out of embarrassment"), he would stop. They would forget about it later on, none of them saying a single word.

Sighing, she was determined to hear none of it ever again. She would make it a point to clarify to her friends that where she and T.K. stood isn't exactly where her friends thought they were. And if that didn't work, she would have to resort to teasing back whoever teased her, and make sure that she would win in the end.

Ironically, though, she heard a familiar voice talk to her, and upon recognizing whose it was, she let out another sigh, this time out of exasperation.

_Oh gosh, Yolei. Not now…_

"Hey Kari! Where are you going?" the older teen asked, catching up to her.

She knew that Yolei would start another one of those "you love T.K.!" claims should she tell the older digidestined the truth, but she didn't have the time, nor the proper mind, to think of the perfect lie. Defeated, she decided to tell the truth, as they continued to stroll along the streets.

"At T.K.'s. And please, Yolei, not now," she said, a sudden threatening tone possessing her voice.

"Whoa, Kari. I get the picture. But I'm afraid you won't find him at his apartment."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw him; he was having a snack with a girl at the Moondance Diner."

She stopped, taken aback. _T.K.… with a… girl? Maybe his relative… or something._ Yolei smirked.

"Jealous?" Yolei asked, grin extending to her ears.

"No!" the younger replied defensively, her voice rising almost a few octaves.

"Then… what's with the reaction?"

Kari somewhat expected this of Yolei. She knew it that her older friend would somehow find a way to tease her with T.K. once the boy got mentioned in their conversation. In as much as she wanted to drop the topic and leave Yolei's question unanswered, she knew, however, that she had to reply to the question, or else Yolei would be her usual self and decide on a conclusion favorable to the older teen's linking. So why exactly _did _she react that way? It wasn't like she had a say on who T.K. was going out with; although as his best friend, she _should _know.

And that was it… the perfect excuse.

"Well… if he were to be in a date, he should have told me! I'm his best friend after all!" _Thank Goodness._

Yolei rolled her eyes. "Suuuure."

"Yolei, I told you. Not now."

"Whatever. Anyway, since he's not in his apartment, and you have pretty much nothing to do, mind if you walk me all the way to my apartment?"

Although Yolei's company was about the last thing she needed at the moment, she agreed anyway. She didn't really want to go home just yet, since she wasn't totally in the mood to, and also because she knew she would be commanded by Tai to do various this and that's.

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She was unusually quiet all throughout their walk, and she was much thankful that Yolei respected her silence. None of them spoke a single word to each other at all, and in their silence Kari got to think about what Yolei had told her. T.K. couldn't have gone with a date with someone without him telling her, could he? They practically shared everything to each other, even their most embarrassing situations, or their deepest, darkest secrets. They were that close.

She was so deep in thought that she even failed to notice that they reached their destination.

"Hey, Kari, I'll leave you here. We reached my building without you knowing it. Don't worry, though. T.K. loves you. We all know that."

She simply nodded, Yolei's words barely registering to her system. She merely stood unaffected, subconsciously waving Yolei goodbye, until she regained total comprehension. She could still see Yolei inside the building, albeit the older girl being so far away. She wouldn't allow herself get teased and do nothing about it, though, so she entered Yolei's building, and shouted at the top of her lungs, just to make sure that Yolei could hear her.

"Shut UP, Yolei!"

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She never realized that Yolei's building was awfully far from hers, and at that she instantly regretted agreeing to walk her home. She has been walking for a good fifteen minutes, but from the looks of it, she wasn't even halfway her apartment complex. She then wondered how she was unable to recognize that fact on their way to Yolei's, maybe she was too absorbed thinking to even notice.

But then again, she knew that she could have had at least a tiny clue that she was walking too far off, but she never had. The information Yolei gave her couldn't have bothered her that much, could it? It's not as if she'd be overly concerned about whom T.K. was seeing, or whether T.K. was dating or not.

She sighed; maybe it was just the silence. Maybe it got so piercingly quiet that she just had the perfect chance to ponder on some things. However, that couldn't have been the case, and she knew it. She was well aware of the fact that had she wanted to break the silence, she could have perfectly done so; that she actually _chose_ to remain in such still behavior.

And by that, it also meant that she chose to think about what Yolei told her.

She thought over the idea carefully. To be true to herself, she wasn't really expecting such news, but she couldn't see why it would trouble her that much. If ever it were true, and if ever T.K. would go out with someone, it wasn't like her would treat her differently, or like she wouldn't remain as the same special person he treats her. She knew, however, that with T.K. going out with someone else, it would mean him spending a little less time with her, and as well him paying a little more attention to his 'girlfriend.' And frankly, she wasn't that much willing to accept such circumstances just yet.

She stopped herself from thinking any further, telling herself to consider everything slowly and rationally. She couldn't recall him telling her earlier about eating with someone, and she knew that he would definitely tell her something as big and as important as this.

She then focused her mind on recollecting yesterday's events. Everything was pretty much the usual: them going to school together, chatting carelessly as their Math teacher was going about his usual boring discussion, eating together at lunch, and the like. The only notable event yesterday was when their English teacher gave that frustratingly difficult homework, and she was pretty much sure that she couldn't pull it off by herself. After being dismissed, she remembered talking to him while walking together as they were going home, hoping that he could help her in that homework.

"_Hey T.K., I was kinda wondering if you'd be busy tomorrow. I'd badly need help in that homework Mr. Tsukiyono gave us," she asked. _(1)

"_Nope, I'm not busy at all. I don't even think I have something to do," was his reply._

"_Great. I want to try doing the homework by myself, though. But in case I can't, I'd be glad if you could help me."_

_He smiled at her warmly. "Drop by anytime, Kari. You're more than welcome."_

She knew that T.K. would never lie to her, as she wouldn't to him, as well. It couldn't have been a date. No one really invites people on dates on such a short notice, although in T.K.'s case, it could be a little different, for she knew that if he would ask any girl in their school out on a date at the very moment, that girl would be more than willing to go. But he _did_ tell her that she could drop by anytime, so he couldn't have gone on a date. It could have been more of an unexpected, unplanned affair.

So maybe T.K. was eating with just a relative, not with a date. She knew T.K. would tell her anything and everything important going on in his life, and him asking someone out, or him going out with someone was definitely something that he should have told her, unlike eating with a relative, or even with a regular friend, which wasn't that much of importance to mention.

That in mind, she concluded that T.K. wasn't on a date.

She sighed. She wondered why she had even _thought_ of T.K. being on a date, and why it affected her so much. Maybe because she heard such news from Yolei, and she had always known her friend to possess teasing tendencies. Maybe Yolei meant it that way, so that it would affect her completely. Maybe Yolei meant to make her jealous….

She suddenly felt an unusual weight leave her, and it took a few seconds for her to realize what urged that feeling. Gatomon freed itself from her arms, jumping to a nearby tree, hiding beneath the leaves. Kari was surprised that she had been holding Gatomon all along. She seemed to have forgotten about the digimon ever since.

Gatomon was seemingly searching for someone amidst the crowd of people. Successful, it pointed at its target.

"Isn't that T.K.'s hat?"

Kari searched the crowd in the direction that Gatomon was pointing to, and successfully found the object that the digimon was referring. It was indeed T.K.'s hat, she was sure of it. No one else in Odaiba could have worn a similar one. Without thinking, she ran towards the direction of the hat, leaving Gatomon behind. The digimon followed her, though.

She was much thankful that T.K. stopped after only a few minutes of her following. She was much curious about what he had been up to, and she just couldn't help doing a little watching. She maintained a safe distance from him, hiding behind a the side of a parked car directly opposite him, who was across the street, as well making sure that she wouldn't be visible from his location.

He wasn't alone; she could confirm that fact pretty much. Yolei was right; he was with a girl, who he was chatting away happily with. Her curiosity took the best of her; she moved a little closer, shifting her position and hiding behind the trunk of the car, still managing to remain totally hidden from his sight, and as well being able to hear a good deal of his conversation with the girl he was with.

"Okay, Asuka, it's settled. We'll meet seven o' clock tomorrow at the park, and we can go to Pleasure Island at eight. So I guess we'll have to eat lunch there," she heard T.K. say. (2)

"Okay, then. But remember. I have to catch the train tomorrow, at five o' clock," the girl, Asuka, replied.

"Okay then, it's a date," T.K. concluded.

Asuka giggled.

She couldn't help but notice a faint redness in T.K.'s cheek as he was talking to that Asuka. Was he blushing? She was sure he was. More importantly, was it because of him asking that Asuka out on a date? Or was it because he was talking to that girl? Or maybe the fact alone that he was _with _the girl? She hardly remembered an occurrence causing him to get so flushed before, and albeit this event barely counts because of the slightness of his reddening, she knew this was quite unusual.

Just who _is_ that girl anyway, she questioned. It was certainly the first time she saw the girl, but the latter was seemingly very familiar with T.K. _Too familiar. _T.K. could have at least made the slightest mention about Asuka, maybe even just the name, yet she couldn't recall at all.

Kari moved a little bit closer to get a better view, careful so that she would stay concealed, although she got dangerously too far from her original position. Kari took in the girl's appearance, thoroughly examining Asuka's features.

Asuka was, in every sense of the word, beautiful. She stood no more than T.K.'s height, but was slightly higher than Kari. Her silky black hair was worn loosely, its length reaching her waist, while bangs stylishly covered her forehead, giving her a sophisticated feel. Her skin was flawlessly smooth and fair, while her eyes were a brilliant purple, and her face bore a smile that presented a warming tenderness, sincere and genuine. With the perfectly fit red top with matching jeans, she gleamed in maturity.

Kari then felt inferior to such qualities. Asuka was a lady, while she felt like a little girl. Asuka was stunning, while she was simply cute. Asuka was graceful, while she was practically lying face down on the ground, her palms and knees all dirty. In all aspects possible, Asuka seemed much, much better than her.

She seemed to think that T.K. thought of Asuka the same way, as she was seeing that the boy was absolutely enjoying Asuka's company. They seem close; that was evident in the way they spoke to each other, but just _how_ close?

She couldn't totally find an answer to that, but she knew that was extremely jealous of that closeness. It might have been bad enough that T.K. was with someone who made her feel so inferior, yet it made her feel a lot more terrible that he was actually close to that someone. Maybe not as close as she was with him, though, for she knew no one was more intimate to him but her; nonetheless, there was extra spice in the type of closeness she was witnessing, an extra flavor that she just couldn't grasp.

She knew, though, that it was ridiculous to feel bad again, as it was just a while ago when she calmed herself with reassurance. She knew that it would have been okay if T.K. were out with any other girl, not someone as perfect and as wonderful was Asuka.

Did she hear them right, though? Were the two going on a _date_? T.K.… on a date? It wasn't like the concept was totally weird or unusual, but it was oddly _new_. He had always politely turned down other girl's invitations, yet here he was, asking someone out. What are the two gonna do at the amusement park, besides the usual having fun? What happens afterwards?

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by Gatomon, who was positioned behind her.

"Kari, I think you're bound to be seen at that location…"

She didn't care about what Gatomon said at all, and was definitely not thinking when she yelled in her reply, an evident frustration in her tone.

"Shut UP, Gatomon!"

Her reply was a little too loud, and she murmured a "sorry" to her digimon. Moments later, she noticed that T.K. was headed towards her direction. She may not have noticed it, but she figured out that she might have yelled louder than she expected, loud enough for T.K. to hear her and get curious on whether she was actually there or not.

He was fast approaching, and yet she didn't know what to do. Surely she couldn't run; he'd still see her anyway, and he was getting closer, closer, closer…

"Kari?" T.K. asked doubtfully. "What are you doing there?"

She saw T.K. looking down at her, with questioning eyes. She regretted ever having to shout at Gatomon. At that moment, she was too shocked to react; she didn't know what to tell him at all. She was also so ashamed that he saw her almost crouching down on the ground like that. All she could manage to do was give him a nervous smile.

Yet he asked her a question, and she knew that she had to think of the perfect excuse – and _quickly, _so that T.K. wouldn't end up having suspicion She stood up, carried Gatomon again in her arms, and turned to face him.

"Oh, hey… nothing much... I… was following someone, but I kinda lost him," she said, a forced calmness in her voice, but still T.K. wasn't that much satisfied.

It took him a while to react, much to her uneasiness. "Who?" he asked, confused.

She wished he could have just dropped the discussion. She knew she wasn't gonna last long if she keeps this up. "Oh," she blurted. "Tai. He… didn't do his chores again, I was kinda wondering where he'd be going to."

"I see."

She was glad that T.K. didn't ask any further, although she was under the impression that he didn't buy her story that much. She was, though, thankful that he changed the topic afterward.

"Well, anyway. Now that you're here, I want you to meet someone," he said, grabbing her by her hand, and leading her towards a waiting Asuka. "Kari, this is Asuka. Asuka's a friend of mine, from where we lived before we moved in here. She's about our age as well. Asuka, this is Kari. She's my best friend."

_Oh I've met her… quite. _She outstretched her hand, offering it to Asuka for a handshake. "Hey… nice meeting you," she said, smiling.

Asuka took the hand and gave her a friendly handshake. "Me too," the girl replied, flashing Kari one of her sweetest smiles.

"Asuka's here since her father was on a business meeting," T.K. said. "And it has been quite a while before we saw each other. We weren't exactly from the same crowd, but we're still good friends. I guess we owe that from being next-door neighbors."

"T.K. is a thoughtful friend. You're so lucky to have him, but don't expect him to be brave during a thunderstorm. He's so scared of thunder," Asuka told Kari, who just nodded, and giggled a little bit, remembering T.K.'s past phobia.

"Hey!" T.K. yelped defensively. "I got over that fear!"

"Yeah right," Asuka said, rolling her eyes. "Oh, and do you still cuddle that stuffed toy every time you sleep? What did you name it again? Puffy?"

"Hey!" T.K. yelped again. "At least I'm not the one who entered in the wrong classroom and stayed there for a good five minutes before realizing it."

"That was so long ago, T.K., it's irrelevant. I never have done that again, unlike you and your _Puffy _habit," Asuka said in reply.

"So? That scene was priceless anyway. You practically screamed out your mistake!" T.K. said, and then giggled.

"I did, didn't I? At least I've never done it again, unlike you still hugging Puffy every night, or so I think," Asuka teased back.

"I do NOT!"

She watched the two drift off into their own little world of teasing and argument, while she just stood near them, completely ignored. Feeling left out of the conversation, Kari merely held Gatomon tighter. It seemed like the two had such a history, and knew so much things about each other.

Now that she realized it, she only got to know the boy when they first journeyed through the digital world. That might have been long ago, but he might have known Asuka longer. She only got to know T.K. that much when he moved to Odaiba, and though she knew everything about him after moving, she never really got to know much about him before they became reacquainted.

And at the very moment, it all seemed like she was completely invisible. T.K. was too busy teasing Asuka to even acknowledge her attendance. She felt dejected at this. The boy had always been so mindful about her presence, ever since.

She then remembered Mimi teaching her a way to escape from awkward situations. The older girl once told her that when she was such circumstances, she could pull out her cellphone, pretend that someone was calling her, and totally excuse herself from the scenery. It wasn't at all that nifty; heck, when Kari first heard it, she thought it was quite stupid. However, she was so desperate to leave as soon as possible, and that method was the only thing she could think of doing.

So she grabbed her cellphone from her pocket, held it against her ear with one hand as the other carried Gatomon, and started talking to an imaginary caller, turning away from the two. At that moment the first person that came to her mind was her mother.

"Uhmm… Mom?" She said, and paused, pretending to be listening to her mother's reply. "Yes, I'm almost home…" she said, then paused again. "Okay, I'm there," she concluded. She placed her cellphone back to her pocket, then faced T.K. and Asuka.

"Who was that, Kari?" asked T.K.

"My mother. She wants me home already. She'll probably want to make me do Tai's chores," she said, sticking to her previous lie. "I got to go. I'll see you again, T.K., and Asuka, I do hope we'll meet again some time. It was nice meet you. Bye!"

She didn't even wait for the two to bid her a goodbye, as she turned away swiftly, and ran towards her apartment as fast as her feet could take her, without even glancing back. She made it a point to thank Mimi for that advice.

**------------------------------------**

"Uhmm… Kari, you're not exactly going anywhere."

She had been walking back and forth in their living room. Apparently, no one was home. Her father still hasn't arrived from work, her mother was out shopping, and Tai was playing soccer at the park. She was thankful for that, though, as she didn't really want anyone seeing her like this.

She was obviously bothered by T.K.'s closeness with Asuka. That she admitted. She had never seen T.K. so comfortable with anyone before, except for her and a number of the digidestined. His closeness with the digidestined never troubled her, though, as she was very much familiar with them as well. It was a first for Kari to see him at ease with someone else, with someone new.

She could still envision their conversation, with her being distantly in the background. It wasn't that she had never felt so left out like that before, because she had experienced such similar situations maybe once or twice. She was hurt by the fact that she felt so rejected being ignored at that particular conversation. It was like T.K. wasn't paying much attention to her, and was solely focused on Asuka, and she hated that.

She knew she was wrong to think that way though, because it was T.K. she was talking about. She knew T.K. more than anyone else, and she was well aware of the fact that he wouldn't allow a friend to drift away from him. She reasoned out that since he hasn't seen Asuka in ages, it was just right that they'd catch up with each other. Heck, even if she were to stumble upon a friend she hasn't seen in years, she'd act the same way.

Besides, she thought, it wasn't like Asuka was staying permanently. Tomorrow was her last day in town, and that might be the last time they'd hear from each other. She mentally slapped herself for acting so unreasonably, most especially for getting jealous over nothing.

However, now that she thought of it, though, he was supposed to meet Asuka tomorrow. Or at least, if she heard them right. There might have been a slight chance of a mistake in hearing; nonetheless the concept of him going on a _date_ was something that disturbed her. Though she does go out with T.K. at times, he never concludes by saying, "It's a date." Well, not to her, anyway.

She knew she just had to confirm it. The fact wasn't exactly leaving her alone.

"Gatomon, I know… it's just that, did we hear them correctly? Tomorrow, at Pleasure Island?" she asked her digimon partner.

"I think so, but I don't see why that bothers you so much, Kari. Unless…"

"I don't know either. All I know is that I have got to find out."

"And what happens after you find out that they really are going there tomorrow? You're gonna ask T.K. to cancel it or something, because of a reason you're gonna make up?"

She thought about that for a second, but dismissed it. Though it may be true that T.K. wouldn't meet up with Asuka should she tell him to because of a very important reason, she still didn't want to come between the two. She just couldn't do that, and T.K. would never forgive her for being so jealous should he find out her true intentions. Maybe he would, she thought, but she didn't really want to do something bad against her best friend.

"I… just have to know, Gatomon."

"Kari, it's pointless. What are you gonna do after asking him? Follow him around or something?"

Somehow she knew that Gatomon didn't completely mean what it said; even so, she took her partner digimon's question seriously and contemplated. It might be true that she can't ask him to cancel, but she can definitely follow them, and watch their little date, just to be sure.

"That's a good idea, Gatomon!"

Gatomon regretted ever telling Kari that, and swore to keep its mouth shut. "Kari… NO! What then happens when he sees you?"

"Then… I just have to tell him beforehand that I'll be going out with someone tomorrow, so he wouldn't be shocked when he finds me."

"And just who _will_ you take, who's as well willing to follow him around?"

She thought about that for a second, and considered various possibilities. She couldn't take Davis; she didn't really want to use the boy's affection towards her just so she could get what she wants. She also wouldn't dare take Yolei. She could just imagine how the older girl would endlessly tease her for doing such spying. She couldn't take Cody, too, for obvious reasons, so he's out of the question. She didn't want to ask the older digidestined either; she was sure that none of them were that eager to help, for they were too busy with their own lives already.

She gave up, disheartened. She was out of choices. Usually, whenever she had problems, or whenever she needed a favor from someone, she would turn to T.K., but evidently, she couldn't turn to him on this one. T.K. was the only person she could trust even her life with, except for Gatomon, that is. She blinked. Gatomon. Why didn't she consider Gatomon in the first place?

"I could take you, Gatomon," she smirked.

She saw the digimon's face fall, but she was quite expecting Gatomon to react that way. She knew she had to do some extra convincing to make her digimon partner come along.

"Kari…" Gatomon protested, but was immediately cut off by her begging.

"Gatomon, please… this would so mean a lot to me!"

The digimon gave up, let out an exasperated sigh, and muttered an "okay" to Kari, cursing the fact that it couldn't refuse its partner's begging. Gatomon was sure that it would regret agreeing to come along.

"Okay, then. I'll call him up," said Kari happily, grabbing the phone and dialing T.K.'s number. At this, Gatomon could only mumble, "I hope you know what you're doing," and then left the living room, going straight to Kari's room.

Kari held the receiver to her ear, hoping that T.K. would be home. To her great relief, the ringing stopped, and T.K.'s voice was on the other line. Kari was glad that he got home already.

"Hello, Takaishi residence."

"Hey T.K., this is Kari. I was kinda wondering if you could help me tomorrow for our English homework…"

There was a brief pause before T.K. answered. "I think so. What time are you free?"

"I guess… before lunch."

"Oh," he replied, a gloomy tone in his voice. "Sorry… I… guess I haven't told you yet, have I? I'm going with Asuka tomorrow. Tomorrow's her last day in town, so we were both kinda hoping we could spend some time."

"Oh. I see." _So they really are going out tomorrow._

"I'm really sorry Kari. Maybe you could call Izzy, or… well, someone else to help you."

"Don't worry about it, T.K…. I kinda have this thing planned, too. Now that you can't help me, I guess I'll just go out then."

"Huh? With who?"

Kari guessed that T.K. wasn't expecting her to hang out with someone as well, hence the shocked tone in his voice. She shelved the thought, though; she was too busy thinking about what exactly to tell him.

"Oh, with… Gatomon. She… kinda wanted to go somewhere."

She heard T.K. let out a small giggle. "I see then. But hey, you could call me tomorrow, maybe after five. I could still help you out if you want to."

"That'd be great, T.K.! So… let's just see what happens, okay? Bye."

"Bye, then. Enjoy your date with Gatomon."

"You too."

She hung up the phone, and let out a relieved sigh. Everything was going to be perfect.

**------------------------------------**

I'm having a little trouble in slowing down my pacing, so I'm really sorry if the story seemed so rushed at some points yet also so detailed at others. I do hope you enjoyed this. ü

1 – I couldn't help it. I just _had_ to include Omi-kun. (_Weiss Kreuz_)

2 – I was thinking of names for an amusement park, and came up with that. I'm not really aware if such a park really exists, though.


	2. Chapter 2

Before anything else, thank you to everyone who reviewed! . I've decided to cut the 2nd chapter into two so that each part wouldn't get awfully long like the first one. Hence, I think this'll end up as five chapters, with a possible epilogue.

I hope you like this next chapter, although I cut the original Chapter 2 into two and the first part didn't turn out quite long enough.

I do not own Digimon, in any way imaginable.

**--------------------------**

**.:chapter.two:.**

She had been spying on them for a good two hours, and so far, so good. They had only been enjoying some rides, eating in some food stalls, and watching some attractions. Everything seemed pretty normal to her, so she had half a mind to go back home and enjoy the rest of her day. However, the other half kept insisting her to stay and watch, just in case. That particular voice inside of her seemed to have much influence in her decision, so she opted to stay a little more.

She wasn't even sure why she was doing this, though. She may have admitted to herself at one point that it was her jealousy that led to her actions, but she just couldn't find the reason why she was jealous at all. Surely, it couldn't be over the fact that T.K. was close to someone else, for when it comes to closeness, she was positive that Asuka didn't even stand a chance.

She sighed. It wasn't like her at all to get so envious, most especially with such simple sentiments, but she couldn't help it; she felt so insecure. She recognized this as one of the feelings that basically had no reason behind it, like those sappy lines she would often hear from soap operas, "I love you because I love you." She felt really bad, though, having to resort to such means of operation, as it was his privacy that she's invading, and as well as someone else's, who she just met yesterday and never really got to know. She just couldn't help it. It had to be done because it had to be done.

_Maybe... maybe I'm jealous because I do like T.K... _She shook her head furiously of the thought. She concluded that she only considered such idea because of all the teasing her friends throw at her, and, believing such explanation, she was determined to not let such teasing get to her. After all, she was sure of what she thought about T.K., and was certain as well that her feelings are only platonic, that they are close to each other _only_ in a friendly type of way.

_So why do I even bother watching them?_

"Kari... they're leaving the bumper cars! Hurry up if you want to catch up with them!"

She snapped out of her thoughts, Gatomon's words registering in her head. She was glad that her partner still helped her even in its own little ways, despite her forcing the digimon to come along. She nodded at Gatomon, holding the digimon in her arms, and stealthily followed T.K. and Asuka as the two made their way to a nearby fast food. Kari checked her watch; it was almost noon. The two might be having lunch, and Kari entered the same store almost a minute later after the two, choosing a table conveniently distant from them.

She didn't really order anything, as she knew she would be preoccupied with watching the two for her to be minding her own meal. Gatomon, however, was hungry, and, being the one who dragged the digimon along with her, she felt obliged to buy her partner a meal.

"What would you like?" she asked, eyes still fixed at T.K. and Asuka.

"Hmm... a burger with coke would be fine."

"Okay, then..."

She called a waiter, and quickly gave him Gatomon's order. As soon as the waiter left, she again watched the two, who were totally oblivious of her spying as they were eating their ordered meal while talking to each other and sharing a few laughs.

She stayed in silence as her eyes were fixed on T.K. and Asuka. She noted the way that whenever T.K. would speak, Asuka would giggle at his statement. And then when Asuka would talk to T.K., the boy would reply rather happily, like the way the eight-year-old T.K. she used to know answered when he was being offered with lollipop or bubblegum. To Kari, it didn't seem like the two were having a serious conversation at all, seeing that for every five seconds or so, either of them or both of them would burst into laughter. It appeared more to her that they were merely telling jokes to each other.

And to her it felt rather... _wrong_. If she remembers correctly, whenever she and T.K. would hang out alone together, T.K. wasn't usually as cheery as he is now with Asuka. Typically, he would be calm and quiet – and he'd be more of the listener than the speaker. It was quite new for Kari to see the carefree side of T.K., although she was aware that that trait of his existed, having been with the childish eight-year-old T.K. a couple of years ago. It all changed when he moved back to Odaiba, though, and after the move she noticed that he was rather... serious. To her, at least.

She wanted to be the one who'd bring out that part of T.K.'s personality. She couldn't think of the reason, though. Maybe it was because she liked to hang out with the cheery childish T.K. that she was seeing, or for the plain, stupid reason that she _just had_ to be that person. Whatever that reason may be, she was sure that she _so_ wanted to be Asuka at the very moment.

"You think T.K. paid for both their meals, Gatomon?" she suddenly asked her partner, her gaze refusing to leave T.K. and Asuka.

Gatomon thought about it for a second. "Of course. It's T.K. we're talking about here, Kari. It would be typical of him to do such a thing."

"I guess you're right," she said, weakly. _He does that for me, too, anyway..._

"It's not like you should be bothered by that, Kari. He pays for your meal, too, when you go out with him," Gatomon said, as if reading her mind. She just smiled feebly in reply.

She watched Asuka as the brunette playfully punched T.K. in the shoulder, and as the boy would childishly protest about the punch, mending his shoulder as if it were hurt badly, and acting as if he was whimpering from horrible pain. She saw Asuka giggle, and slapping T.K.'s face jokingly, muttering from what Kari could read out as, "Aww... did I hurt T.K. too much?"

Watching them feel comfortable with each other while eating restored the feeling of jealousy within her. Selfish as it may sound, she didn't want any other person to be as close to T.K. as she was. Before Asuka, she was pretty sure that no one else could be such that person. However, now that his childhood friend showed up, now that she could see him stay at ease with Asuka's presence, she was having second doubts about it.

"Relax, Kari. It's like what Yolei said. Don't worry yourself over nothing."

She thought about that for a second. She just wished that she was indeed worrying herself over nothing, but it was her best friend that was being talked about here. That doesn't really count as 'nothing.' If anything, it was a big 'something,' more like an 'everything.'

"It's just that... he's so... cheerful while being with her. With me, he was always so serious. Sure, he can get so easygoing at times, but..."

She paused, and let out a defeated sigh. She didn't want to continue her statement. She knew it would only make that jealousy worse.

"I think that's natural – I mean, him being so happy. I mean, they haven't seen themselves for quite a time. It's only common that he'd act..."

"What the _heck_?" she interrupted, paying no attention to Gatomon's reply. Her voice was unusually high, and at this Gatomon knew something wasn't going exactly right. The digimon had a hunch about what could have caused the surprised reaction, and turned its head instantly to the table Kari was observing.

Apparently Asuka had drunk up all of her beverage, and yet still seemed thirsty, thus asking T.K.'s permission to drink from his straw. Kari noted the fact that T.K. didn't even pause for a minute's hesitation, and that he agreed automatically, also rather eagerly.

She knew T.K. wasn't too dense enough to know that when a person drinks from the straw of another, the former would be as good as kissing the latter. _I... I guess he wanted that indirect kiss, huh?_

And that squeezed her insides more with jealousy. _That never happened to us..._

Thankfully, Gatomon saw a good deal of the scene, and upon seeing Kari's upset face, the digimon instinctively spoke to comfort Kari.

"Actually, if you just ignored Yolei and the others' teases, you could have done what Asuka had. T.K.'s always offered you his drinks, you know..."

Kari was about to argue with Gatomon, but she didn't mutter a word, as she saw the waiter coming to their table, Gatomon's order in the tray the waiter carried. She paid for her partner's meal, choosing to ignore and totally forget everything about what happened earlier. When she spoke, her voice came out low and gloomy.

"Do hurry up with your meal. I wouldn't want to miss anything."

**--------------------------**

Gatomon could only stare at her with compassion. The digimon didn't really want to say anything to comfort its partner, in the fear of ending up hurting Kari more. Frankly, though, Gatomon didn't really know why Kari was worried at all. It wasn't like T.K. would choose Asuka over Kari, especially with the long history the two digidestined shared. The only reason behind Kari's jealousy that totally made sense to the digimon was that if Kari really had romantic feelings towards the boy, for Gatomon never remembered Kari getting jealous whenever T.K. would go out with his basketball buddies, and, as well, considering the fact that T.K. was with a perfectly irresistible girl.

They were watching T.K. and Asuka as the latter two were riding the merry-go-round, an unexpected request from Asuka. Kari was surprised that Asuka made such childish request, but she didn't dwell on that matter much. She was only considering the fact that T.K. was very happy being with his 'date'. Perhaps much happier than she could make him.

She had stayed in miserable silence since lunch, not uttering even a single word. Her heart was unusually heavy, and her insides felt like they were being constricted, making it extremely hard for her to breathe.

She didn't get it… was she jealous because Asuka, in a way, kissed T.K.?

**--------------------------**

She was utterly irritated by the way people could jump into the wrong conclusions so easily – and as well by the fact that some people just don't know how to mind their own business. Being a few distances away from T.K. and Asuka, she couldn't help but hear some comments about the two from mere passersby, saying how cute a couple the two were, or how perfect they were for each other, or how lucky Asuka was for having found T.K., or vice versa.

She examined the two carefully – they didn't even look _close_ to being a couple. They were definitely not holding hands, they were always _at least_ two inches from each other as they walk, and his hand didn't – and never did – touch her shoulder, or her waist – or any part of her body, for the matter. They were _merely_ chatting away leisurely. The only conceivable basis for them to be considered a couple was that they were alone together, and that wasn't much of a foundation at all. She just wondered on how people could _think_ of such things.

Heck, the closest thing the two have done that was good enough for them to be called a couple was merely sharing an indirect kiss.

She held Gatomon tighter; that thought merely made her more upset.

"Kari, hurry up! I think he's trying to pick up Asuka a stuffed toy in one of those machines."

Gatomon jumped out of her grasp, and ran towards a nearby stall, hiding behind it. The digimon signaled to her to follow, which she immediately did.

She observed intently, as T.K. would repeatedly attempt to win Asuka a stuffed cat – _perhaps Asuka wanted one._ However, the boy was unsuccessful each try, and Kari could only laugh at T.K.'s persistence. As she took a peek, though, at the two, she discovered that she wasn't the only one laughing. She inched closer, getting a better catch of their conversation.

"T.K., I think you'd better stop," said Asuka, failing to repress a giggle. "If you really want to give me a stuffed cat, you could always buy me one."

"Awww, but that would be boring," replied T.K., facing Asuka. He smiled at his friend, a warm smile that he rarely flashed. "Besides, it isn't everyday that I could go with someone who I haven't been with for so long."

Asuka giggled. "Fine then, if you insist. But if you run out of change, you'd have to stop, and be contented with buying me one instead."

_Hmph… it isn't like T.K. never tried winning me one as well…_ Kari kept watching T.K., still futile in his attempts. She admired his determination. Although she was well aware of that particularly quality of his, she quite wished that he wouldn't use it now. She secretly wished, as well, that he wouldn't be able to win Asuka a gift, although she knew that that was rude.

"Aww… would you just look at them? _You_ never do _that_ to _me_!"

She shifted her gaze towards that voice, curious about whom it belonged to. She discovered that it came from a young woman, who was clinging to a young man's arms. _Probably a couple._ She then noticed that they were as well observing T.K. and Asuka, seemingly touched by T.K.'s efforts.

"You know that I'm no good at that," the man replied.

"Well, neither is he," said the woman, giggling. "But at least what's important is that he's _trying_, unlike some boyfriend I know."

The woman rolled her eyes, and the man seemingly got offended. The former just giggled more, kissing her boyfriend at the cheek. The man smiled.

"…at least he's doing his best," the woman continued, apparently amused. She leaned on to her boyfriend's arms, and watched T.K. and Asuka. T.K. was still trying, and Asuka could only cheer him on, although laughing every time T.K. would fail. "Aren't they perfect for each other?"

The man just nodded, and then looked at the woman. "Not as perfect as we are," he added.

Kari was quite thankful that the couple left the scenery. She didn't exactly want to hear another of those "T.K. and Asuka look perfect for each other" type of murmurs. If anything, one she heard from the woman was quite frustrating.

"Do they even _look_ like a couple to you?" she asked Gatomon suddenly, failing to hold back all her annoyance. "I mean, left and right people say that they look like the perfect couple… I just can't see it."

"Hmmm…" Gatomon started, and thought about the question. Although truthfully, the digimon couldn't see why Kari would ask such a thing so unexpectedly. "They are alone, you know, and both of them seem friendly to each other."

"Yeah, _too_ friendly," cut Kari, an evident sarcasm in her voice.

Gatmon rolled its eyes. "Kari, don't forget… the others seem to think that you and T.K. also make a cute couple, well… if it helps."

She seemed to have forgotten that fact. "Hmph… and I bet you anything that they'd say we'd look better than them."

"Kari, wasn't it just yesterday that…"

"I know," she cut Gatomon off. "But, well… oh gosh… I don't know what's gotten into me!"

Gatomon sighed. "Well, I just hope you find out…" murmured the digimon.

**--------------------------**

Again, thank you, thank you to everyone who reviewed! I'm glad to know someone liked this! (And I hope I didn't take long to update, lol)

**Takeru Lover**: I'm so glad there's another person here who likes UFO Baby! And you got the episode right! lol. Thanks for the suggestion, but I somehow based this fic from the manga version where Miyu goes alone. I think it would add to the drama that way. But hey, thank you for suggesting!

**melonbar92**: Being a Takari fan, I'll make sure TK and Kari end up together. I promise:)


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

-----------------------------

**.:chapter.three:.**

T.K. never got to win Asuka the stuffed toy the girl wanted; nonetheless, he bought his date one instead, much to his dismay. The two were trying out the bumper cars again, this time because of T.K.'s insisting. Kari followed them; again carrying Gatomon in her arms, and settled for a bench fairly distant from them. The bench faced the other direction, though, so she had to take occasional backward glances if she wanted to watch.

Her recent attitude and sentiments bothered her. Indeed, Gatomon was right. Their friends do tease her with T.K., and it was just yesterday that she got so pissed off by the excessiveness of the teasing. Now that people see T.K. and Asuka as a perfect couple – as a cute couple – she somehow wanted someone to tell her – to tease her – that she and T.K. would, too, make a perfect couple… and even perhaps _more perfect _than T.K. and Asuka would be. Somehow she wasn't quite expecting to feel that way, but at the very moment she needed all the assurance that she could get.

She couldn't understand just why she would want someone to tell her such a thing. She kept convincing herself that it was because she wanted to beat Asuka in one manner – but no, it wasn't _just _that. She knew that she was miles ahead of the girl in terms of closeness with T.K., but that win couldn't content her one bit. She just knew that she had to be better than Asuka when it comes to being more suited with T.K. Maybe…

"Do you think I love T.K.?"

Gatomon freed itself from Kari's arms, and settled at the space beside her. It shocked by the sudden – and straightforward – question. The digimon knew at once what it wanted to answer, but opted to choose the answer that it knew in a way would be safer to answer. "I don't know." Gatomon replied. "Do you?"

She looked down, in deep thought. She pondered on that question thoughtfully, taking in consideration everything she felt for the past two days.

Maybe she did love him, although she may have failed to sense it before. Maybe she was too close to him to notice that she was slowly developing romantic feelings for him – that their friendship was so strong that she failed to notice that she gradually was seeing him as more than just a friend. Maybe she had always liked being with him because she wanted more of his tender smiles, of his gentle character, of his warm company. Maybe she didn't think of him as just a reliable friend, an enjoyable companion. Maybe she thought of him as something more…

"I don't know," she lied, her voice soft and uncertain. "Maybe I do love him, but I can't say for sure… it's just that…"

She stopped, taking a backward glance at T.K., and observed him thoroughly, studying his features that have always been so familiar to her. "Well, he's cute and thoughtful and all, but he's _T.K._… I couldn't possibly look at him that way…"

"Then why are you suddenly so jealous? Don't you think that there's at least a possibility?"

She glanced away from T.K., facing Gatomon. She paused for a while before answering, uncertainty evident in her eyes. "I don't know, Gatomon. It's all so confusing. It's just that… I've known him ever since. If I really love him, then I should have known that long ago…"

Gatomon swore that Kari could be a little thick-headed at times. "Kari… why don't you just forget about those circumstances for now, and just pay attention to what you really feel."

"Well… I feel really jealous…"

Gatomon couldn't take any more of Kari's denials. The digimon was determined to make Kari realize what the girl really felt.

"…well you are for a reason," Gatomon said, cutting off Kari's statement. "It's like I said, Kari. There's got to be an explanation for your jealousy, and it can't be just because you see him so close to Asuka, because even you know that no one is as close to him than you are. If you were to be jealous, it has to be because of something else…"

Gatomon knew that Kari would get angry at its outburst, but somehow, the digimon didn't worry about that. What Gatomon was really concerned about is for Kari to get the message. Thankfully, though, the girl didn't mind at all, and instead thought about what the digimon had said.

"You're right," Kari muttered.

-----------------------------

It had been roughly two months since Kari remembered having to bear with Mimi's nonstop chattering about a senior, Saionji Omi, who the older digidestined suddenly developed a major crush on. For a whole week, whenever the girls of the group would hang out, Mimi would just go on and on on how mysteriously brown _her Omittchi's_ eyes were, or how ruggedly masculine the senior stood. The love struck digidestined would tell them on how her heart would pound uncontrollably whenever the object of her fancy were near, or how speechless she would be rendered everytime Saionji Omi would talk to her, which, much to her pleasure, was very often, considering the senior was the captain of the basketball team and Mimi was the head cheerleader despite being only in second year. (1)

Typical of Mimi, though, to get what she wants, eventually she and Saionji Omi got together, but the relationship lasted only two weeks, had Omi not _rather _intentionally hit on another cheerleader while unaware that Mimi was present. Naturally, Mimi was crushed, and refused to go out of her room for days, until comforted by – much to everyone's surprise – Ishida Yamato. The head cheerleader and the lead vocalist of the Wolves had been inseparable ever since. (2)

Kari learned much about Mimi's little experience. Having yet to experience romance, the former would ask the latter much about the sensations of having a crush on someone, or perhaps of being in love with someone. Mimi, being the at-times disillusioned fangirl, would merely say that whenever a crush would come near, like what she experienced with Saionji Omi, she would feel her heart beating furiously and she would be completely awestruck by the pleasant features of her crush. However, as Mimi _did_ in fact have a mature side, she would also reply that whenever she was with the person she loves, like being with Yamato, she stated that she didn't want to lose him to someone else, and that she felt a calm ease, a warm security – that she felt _right._ This part seemed rather abstract to Kari, and Mimi was, as well, aware of the vagueness of the reply. However, as the latter feeling was much unexplainable to Mimi, the older digidestined couldn't explain much further, and just concluded her answer, saying, "You'll know once you experience it."

Somehow she didn't agree on the conclusion, and indeed, she wished she knew for sure.

Kari considered the thought for a while. She knew she never feel that thumping sensation in her heart whenever she was with T.K., and neither does she experience that panicky anxiety whenever he was near. She was never caught off-guard by his cutesy antics, never mesmerized by his warm smiles. With him, she felt only fondly comfortable, like she could act any way she absolutely wanted, without him being so judgmental. It was a feeling that she was sure she felt with no other.

And, from what she recently learned, she was sure she didn't want to lose T.K. to someone else.

So, does that mean that she didn't have a crush on T.K., but she may be in _love_ with him? There was absolutely no use avoiding the fact, as everything Mimi told her about being in love and everything she felt about T.K. seemed to have matched perfectly. Even being too close to each other wasn't a valid excuse anymore; Matt and Mimi made the perfect couple, and yet the two had a huge history in terms of friendship. Of course, the couple wasn't as close to each other as she was to T.K. before getting together, but all that mattered was the thought that even the closest of friends can find love and rightness despite the strong friendship they shared.

"I think I do love him, Gatomon," she said suddenly, her voice toneless, and her look fixed onto T.K., who was eating ice cream with Asuka on a nearby bench.

Gatomon wasn't a bit surprised; the digimon had waited long enough for Kari to realize the thought. "Oh," Gatomon replied. "What made you see that?"

"Well... Mimi."

"Mimi?"

Kari nodded. "You know what she told me about being in love?"

Gatomon paused for a while, remembering the conversation. It took a while, and after recalling everything, the digimon's face lit up, seemingly getting the picture.

"Oh, you mean the part where she says that she never wants to lose the one she loves to someone else?"

"Especially that."

"So I guess Mimi helped you here, eh?"

"Well, she did, but it's confusing me as well. I don't know what conclusion I could make from all these things! It's just so... hard to understand."

Gatomon sighed; Kari should've understood everything by now. Tired of waiting for Kari to come to her senses, the digimon decided to give Kari an extra push. Besides, Gatomon thought, Kari needed it badly.

Gatomon stayed silent for a few seconds, thinking of what to say and how to say it. Kari remained observing T.K., and soon Gatomon broke the silence. "I think it's already perfectly clear, Kari, and you know as well that it is. All you have to do is start accepting how things turn up to be, and stop being in denial about your feelings."

"Well, I guess so..."

But this didn't content Gatomon at all.

"Kari," Gatomon started. "Isn't it that you feel really very jealous over the fact that T.K. is with Asuka right now?"

"Uh-huh."

"And isn't it that you really don't want to lose him to someone like her, who seems to be perfect and who is somehow close to him?"

"Uhm... yes."

"And didn't you tell me that you really wanted to be Asuka right now, so that you could spend the day with him like she's doing, just hanging out and having fun?"

"In a way..."

"Well...? Don't all these things make the situation clear enough for you to understand?"

Kari averted her gaze from T.K., and closed her eyes to further contemplate on the thought. Maybe she had been listening to the wrong voice inside her, or maybe she just allowed her friends to get to her too much in their teasing that she badly needed to disprove them. She knew she genuinely cared about T.K., and she had always wanted _and_ enjoyed being there for him when he was in trouble, not much like the way she gives help to her brother, which she felt at times that she was rather forced to do; or the aid she offers to Yolei, which she occasionally wanted to get out of. That alone told her that she didn't just see T.K. as a brother, and neither a best friend, but for her, he was something more. Maybe it was possible that she was in love with him, after all.

So Gatomon was right; everything was already clear. The only factors clouding the situation were her constant denials and her stubborn reasoning.

"I love him," she said, opening her eyes, and facing Gatomon. Her voice was soft, yet confident and decided.

Triumphant, relieved, and finally satisfied, Gatomon smiled.

-----------------------------

She wanted to go home already. She couldn't bear watching T.K. and Asuka any longer. All she wanted to do at the moment was to stay locked up in her room, hidden beneath the sheets of her bed, and cry, if she must. She was so jealous to the point that she barely even looked at the two, even though her curiosity told her to, every once in a while. The only reason why she was still following the two was Gatomon, who this time developed a sudden interest in spying on T.K. and Asuka, and who kept insisting her to stay and watch a little longer.

She should have listened to Gatomon. The digimon was right all along. Maybe coming to Pleasure Island to do a little spying wasn't quite a good idea, and she blamed herself for her curiosity. She planned out everything perfectly, from the "I'm going with Gatomon" cover-up just in case T.K. would accidentally see her, to the harmless white lies she'd tell him should T.K. ask what amusements she had seen with Gatomon, or what rides she had ridden. Of course, she didn't foresee that she'd realize that she's in love with T.K. along the way, and that was the major hole in her plan.

She took a careful look at T.K. and Asuka, who were eating hamburgers inside a restaurant. Once again she settled for a bench safely far from the two, with the bench facing the opposite direction from where T.K. might see them, and with Gatomon seated beside her. As she was outside the restaurant where T.K. and Asuka were eating, she couldn't hear what exactly the two were talking about, although she could see them clearly through the restaurant's glass window, and in between bites the two were laughing and chatting.

"I really shouldn't have come," she said, still looking at T.K. and Asuka.

"I guess so," replied Gatomon.

"I should have listened to you, Gatomon. This was such a big mistake."

She saw T.K. laugh at probably one of Asuka's stories, and she let out a weak smile. _T.K. was so cute like that_. She looked away from the two and observed Gatomon, who was still watching T.K. and Asuka intently.

"I really should have listened to you," she said.

At this, Gatomon jumped from where it was seating, and stood in front of Kari.

"But at least you know now that you love T.K.," said the digimon.

But Kari didn't see it as something positive. To her, that fact was something that she never would have wanted to discover. "But what for?" she asked. "Only to lose him to someone like Asuka? If only I realized that sooner, before Asuka visited – _that _would have been better. Much better, though, had that never occurred to me at all!" Her voice was somewhat louder and higher when she spoke, although Gatomon sensed more frustration in her tone than anger.

"But Kari… even without Asuka you'll still realize it sooner or later… and… and it's not like they'll end up together because of this date. After all, Asuka's just here for a visit. Besides, to me it really seems like they're spending time and having fun just like how _you_ and T.K. would spend time and have fun."

"But it's different, Gatomon. I mean, look at Asuka. She's the type of girl that any boy would want. She's beautiful, mature, and… as it looks like it, funny. Who would not want her?"

Gatomon sighed at this. Kari could put too much thought into the smallest of things sometimes. "Kari," the digimon said in reply. "Have you ever considered that T.K. might think of you like that as well?"

Pausing to give that question a little thought, she again took a quick glance at Asuka, taking in just how beautiful the black-haired girl was, and how she felt so inferiorly childish as compared to Asuka's sophisticated, mature look. Then she looked at T.K., who was smiling at Asuka as he was sipping the contents of his iced tea. He was probably admiring his date's qualities as well, although Kari never really knew for sure.

"No," she replied, again facing Gatomon. "I'm his best friend. Asuka's probably one of his best friends, but that was so long ago. The first thing he probably noticed when he saw Asuka again was just how… perfect she is."

"But Kari, remember. He's your best friend, too, and still you fell in love with him. That means he could fall in love with you, too."

-----------------------------

I know; it took FOREVER to update, and I'm **SORRY**!! I really am... I **promise **to update regularly from now on, tough. I've finished writing the story anyway, but the remaining parts badly need editing. I'll post them after I'm done editing them, ASAP!

And I'm not really sure on whether to refer to Gatomon as a 'she' or an 'it', so I settled for 'it', since technically, Gatomon is more of an animal than a human.

Some notes:

1 – In my ficcy, Mimi moves back to Odaiba, in case you were wondering. **Saionji Omi** was derived from: **Saionji **- from the resident bishie of _Daa! Daa! Daa!_, Saionji Kanata; **Omi ­**– from the cutie of the four night hunters from _Weiss Kreuz_, Tsukiyono Omi. I think it's fun making names from your anime crushes, isn't it? XD

2 – Wasn't originally intending to include even the slightest hint of Mimato, but I find this better than to "create" another name/ character. Peace out Sorato, Michi, Yakari fans!


End file.
